Lasik with Ectasia, then Hydrops

I am posting 2 photos of the same eye with post-LASIK corneal ectasia to give you an idea of what can happen years after LASIK surgery is done. This patient had reasonably good vision for a number of years after his LASIK surgery. LASIK is a procedure where the cornea is thinned out. The pressures from within the eye against this weakened corneal “wall” caused this cornea to buckle. This usually takes place within a time frame of days to several weeks. Several years after the ectasia took place, this cornea developed a condition known as “hydrops”. Note the cloudy area just below the pupil. This is caused by the most posterior corneal membrane rupturing allowing fluid (aqueous) from within the eye to enter the center of the cornea. This eye was fit with a scleral lens for vision improvement. Due to severe depression, this patient did not want to get involved with a corneal transplant.